


The Not-So Mighty Skygod

by Rionaa



Category: Cabin Pressure
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-20
Updated: 2015-03-20
Packaged: 2018-03-18 18:57:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3580329
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rionaa/pseuds/Rionaa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>How Douglas started his career</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first published fanfiction, I hope you like it :)

Douglas coughed slightly and shifted from foot to foot in the crowded atrium. He looked around nervously for... he didn't even know what the man looked like... he pushed his glasses further up his nose and tried to stop the butterflies in his stomach.

"Ah! Are you Douglas Richardson?" The loud, confident voice startled him and he dropped the folder he was holding. Blushing beetroot red, he bent to pick it up and straightened up to look into a round, laughing face.

"Uh... yes, hi. Um... you must be Captain Rory McAdam?" he phrased the sentence with a question mark, praying that his stammer wouldn't make an appearance

"Yes, that's me! A little nervous are we? Ha, don't worry, it's like that on everyone's first day. Now, shall we get down to it? There'll be plenty of time to get to know each other once we're in the flight deck!" Douglas nodded mutely, and stooping first to pick up his flight bag, he followed his new captain out of the hall.

"So, this your first placement?" Rory asked casually as the plane settled itself into a steady path.

"Yes" Douglas nodded. "I..."

"Good good!" chuckled Rory, "well they couldn't have put you with a finer captain, though I say so myself!" Douglas nodded again and tried to press his tall frame down into the seat. Rory laughed again "There's no need to hide, I wait a few days before feasting on my prey! Well, why don't you take control, we'll see how well you handle the plane shall we?" Douglas gulped and then nodded. Rory passed him the control column and sat back in his seat. Douglas gripped the column tightly with both hands and felt a sweat break out on his forehead.

"I..."

"Go on, boy, look at your artificial horizon! Pull her up straight." Douglas jerked on the column before him and felt the plane swing too far to the right! His grip tightened and he saw his knuckles turn white. His heart beat frantically and suddenly he wasn't in control of his own thoughts and body, let alone the plane. He let go with a cry and shrank back into his seat. He was vaguely aware of Rory grabbing the control column and righting the plane, but he didn't pay much attention to that. He fought to regain control and finally calmed down enough to hear a concerned voice calling his name

"Douglas? Are you alright?"

"Yeh. Yeah. I'm fine. I'm... sorry. Sorry about that. I don't..."

"Ahh don't worry, kid. No harm done eh? Just next time. Try not to kill us all yeah?" He looked up into the laughing eyes of his captain and smiled wanly

"Yeah... yeah of course."

"That's the spirit." ATC came through the radio "Do you want to answer that?" Douglas nodded and answered the radio call

Two days later, Douglas found himself again waiting for his captain to arrive. Finally, he saw the now familiar face approaching.

"Shall we go then?" Douglas swallowed his nerves and nodded. Rory grinned and strode off in the direction of the plane. Douglas straightened his back and attempted to imitate his captain's confident stride.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's here! I hope you find part two an adequate follow-up!

Over the next few weeks, Douglas found himself adjusting to life as a pilot, and began to settle down in the flight deck. Rory was a constant presence, but Douglas found comfort in that, knowing that even if something went wrong, Rory would know what to do about it. Each day he found new confidence in his abilities.

 

Three weeks after he started with Rory, Douglas was re-reading his notes from studying for his CPL when his phone rang. He stood up from his lumpy mattress and picked up the receiver.

 

“Hello, Douglas Richardson speaking,” he tried to sound as confident as he could, “What can I do for you?”

 

“Ah, well, I'm afraid Rory McAdam called in sick this morning, we're going to have to fly you with another captain in his stead today. I'm so sorry this happened so soon after you joined us” Douglas swallowed hard and tried not to let his panic show in his voice.

 

“Um,” he cursed inwardly at the sudden higher pitch his voice had taken on and coughed slightly to return it to it's natural reedy baritone “yes, I'm sure that'll be fine” He was relieved at the return to normality of its tone.

 

“Right! Good, well, we'll see you in a couple of hours.” The other person rang off and Douglas sat heavily back down on the bed. He felt panic rising. _What if he wasn't good enough? What if the other captain wasn't as competent as Rory? What if something went wrong? How would he deal with it?_ Then a thought occurred to him. _What would Rory do?_ He sat up straight and smiled. Still smiling, he went over to the closet and pulled out his pilot's uniform.

 

 

 

Two hours later, Douglas pulled up outside the airport in his battered old Morris Minor. Clenching his fists nervously he walked into atrium in his best imitation of his “real captain”'s confident stride. He wasn't sure who he was looking for, so he stood awkwardly near the edge of the crowd that was starting to fill the airport building.

 

“Douglas Richardson?” he looked up from the floor tiles he had been scrupulously examining in surprise.

 

“Yes? Hell-ohh” He smiled awkwardly and wished he'd thought to pay better attention to his hair before he left his flat. The woman who was standing before him grinned up at him.

 

“Surprised because I'm a woman?” Douglas shook his head mutely, his mouth slightly open. 

 

“I... no, no! I just... uh...” She looked into his face with laughing eyes and that was the moment Douglas knew he was in love. He managed to pull himself together, “I, um, don't think you told me your name.” _Or maybe you did, I was just too busy trying not to make a fool of myself to hear it._

 

“Oh, of course, how impolite of me. My name is Captain,” she put a heavy emphasis on this word, “Eleanor Rosier.”

 

“Then I am delighted to make your acquaintance, Ellie.” Part of Douglas was appalled at the sudden boldness which had overcome him, but another part was proud, knowing that this was what Rory would have done.

 

“Well now, Dougie, I don't think we know each other quite that well... yet!” Douglas could have sworn he saw her wink as she turned and strode across the atrium, her auburn hair bouncing on her shoulders as she walked away. Douglas gulped and straightened his tie as he bent to pick up his flight bag and followed her across the hall.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked it! Please review :)


	3. CHapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is, sooner than expected!

O nce they were up in the air, Douglas relaxed slightly, surrounded by the now already familiar instruments and dials. He allowed himself to settle down a little, although keeping a constant eye on his temporary captain.

 

“So... do you know how long Ror-Captain McAdam will be off work for? He asked tentatively after a while.

 

“Well, from what they've told me it looks like he's come down with a bad case of the flu, so it could be a week or two. Why, are you that eager to get rid of me?” She asked playfully.

 

“I... No! Not at all! I just...”

 

“Relax, I'm just messing with you.” She laughed.

 

“Right...” He breathed deeply. He still had a lot to learn about women.

 

 

Once they reached their destination,  Captain Rosier disappeared almost immediately, leaving Douglas to complete the post-landing checks. He meticulously followed the set routine, then stopped, not knowing what to do next. He went and sat in the flight deck and read his book for half an hour. When  Eleanor didn't return, he sighed and headed off to find the hotel. 

 

 

It took Douglas another half and hour to locate the hotel. When he finally found it, he was annoyed to find Captain Rosier in the bar, wearing a very complimentary red cocktail dress and a smug look.

 

“Ah, there you are, Richardson,” she smirked, “Did you have trouble finding the hotel?”

 

“No, I just thought I'd take a tour of Mudville, Drizzleshire.” He snapped irritably. 

 

“There's no need to take that tone with me,” she raised her eyebrows, “You're beginning to sound like Rory yourself!” He blushed, 

 

“Well, maybe that's... perhaps I... I'm going to my room.” He left the bar.

 

 

When he returned forty five minutes later, having had a shower and changed into a clean outfit, he found to his dismay that his captain was leaning on the bar, chatting to a man who appeared to be enjoying her advances. Douglas took a barstool next to Eleanor and ordered a drink slightly louder than was strictly necessary. Eleanor turned round at the sound.

 

“And this is my first officer, Douglas Richardson!” she announced to the girl on the other side of Douglas. Her words were slightly slurred from the wine she was holding. Douglas turned to face the girl he had apparently just been introduced to. 

“Uhm... hi-” He began, but she cut him off.

 

“Wow! Hi! My name's Sandra. So, you're a pilot huh? That's so... hm... sexy...” Douglas nodded mutely. “How long have you been flying for? It can't be too long, you look so young!” Douglas nodded again.

 

“Yeah, I'm actually fairly new to it all, I only passed my CPL a couple of months ago.” She frowned.

 

“So you're not very experienced then?”

 

“No, like I say, I only recently-” she scoffed.

 

“I didn't mean about the flying.” But before he could reply, she disappeared into the crowd. Douglas returned to his drink.

 

 

After two or maybe five more drinks, Douglas found himself talking to another girl, and this time it seemed to be going better. She was much prettier than Sandra, or even Eleanor, in fact, Douglas didn't think he'd ever seen a girl as pretty. Maybe there weren't even any girls who could be as pretty as... as...

 

“Whadya saya namewuzz?” he called over the loud music playing.

 

“Katie!” She shouted back. He frowned. He thought she was Jenny or Margaret... wait no Jenny had said she had to pee and Margaret... She was over there... or was she? Douglas didn't know if that was Margaret or Jenny or Sandra, as she turned, her face became blurred and then faded altogether...

Douglas didn't feel his head hit the floor or the hands which carried him up to his room or hear the alarmed cries of Katie and someone else nearby, or the annoyed remonstrations of Eleanor as she tucked him into bed.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh Douglas, What have you got yourself into?  
> Please review!


	4. Chapter 4

Douglas crept shamefaced into the flight deck the next day. Eleanor eyed him with... was that amusement? as she went around performing the pre-flight checks with louder than usual vigour, Douglas felt.

“Morning!” She called loudly to him as he took his seat and wished that he'd thought to pack some aspirin. He grunted in reply. She laughed and held up a bottle of pills.

“Want some?” she held it out to him. He took it gratefully.

“I'd have thought you'd be wanting to gloat, rather than help...” He muttered.

“Not at all! I can't have my first officer below par when he's operating back, can I?” she quipped, playfully. Douglas dropped the bottle of aspirin in shock.

“Operating back? But I thought... I wasn't... I thought you were...” She grinned.

“Nah, I thought I'd let you take it. After all, I operated most of the way out...” He nodded and squared his shoulders. 

“Right.” 

The flight back was pretty much uneventful. They encountered a spot of turbulence as the flew over the English Channel, but Douglas, to his own surprise, managed to fly through it with little difficulty.

On their arrival back at the airport, Eleanor stopped him just as he was about to leave the plane.

“Well done. That was a tricky bit of flying, but you did well.” He smiled nervously at her, then readjusted his glasses as he stepped out of the door, smiling to himself.

That night, Douglas looked at the stack of books he had planned to reread, then sighed and went straight to bed. He had twelve hours between flights, he could read after sleeping. He pulled the covers over his head; the boiler was broken again, and went straight to sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> There will be more to come soon! Please review <3


End file.
